The Child of the Republic
by Oreylotrashchild09O
Summary: Thalia, a young woman, has lived all her life on the lowest levels of Coruscant where crime rates and thievery run through the roof. After her mother and sister are murdered, Thalia turns to the only life she's ever known to survive. With the help and training of her "friend" Kiran, Thalia is immersed into the into the life of an assassin during the Clone Wars. Pls give reviews!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Thalia walked down the darkly lit street, making her way home. The seventeen-year-old girl covered her face with her dark hair, and scanned her surroundings poised for attack should she have to. Her clenched fists remained at her sides, one hand close to her holstered blaster. She was prepared for anything; Living in the lower levels of Coruscant could do that to a person.

As she walked, the sounds in the street were only those of her soft footfalls and the occasional passing of a speeder, and as she dodged around a heaping pile of trash, she thought it was strange to see the street so still.

Thalia commonly had to take side streets and detours on the way home, and it could take her up to an hour to finally reach her destination, but not today; the streets remained deathly silent.

She assumed that all the thugs would be at the local bar, and as she walked that direction, she thought she would hear the sounds of jeers and loud music; a drunken brawl perhaps. But there was nothing. Stillness, almost serenity.

Something was wrong. The Coruscant she knew was never this peaceful.

Quickening her pace, she turned a corner beneath a flickering streetlight and ducked into an alleyway, taking a shortcut towards her street. It didn't take her long until she saw the reason for the silence behind her. It was the chaos that ensued before her.

Before she even reached her street, she saw an orange glow radiating from where her home should be, and a hazy cloud of smoke building its way upwards. Sounds of blaster shots penetrated her ears. She felt the sudden urge to turn and run but her feet remained glued to the pavement. One thought shot its way through her mind.

Her family.

Almost frozen with fear, she fumbled to draw her blaster before finally taking slow hesitant steps towards the fiery mass that had consumed multiple buildings now. Turning a corner, she had to find a vantage point, her steps turned to quicker steps, then to running as she approached the disaster. Anxiety flew through her, energizing her forward and keeping her from looking back.

Finally ducking into another alleyway, she saw a smoldering building crash to the ground before crouching behind a dumpster for cover. Taking a few deep breaths, she shut her eyes and tried to block out the sounds, but it was impossible. The roar of the flames, the cracking of burning wood and embers, the sounds of cursing a shooting in the street. Gritting her teeth, she thought she heard a scream, it sounded like her mother, but as she turned to peek out from behind the trash bin, her family was nowhere to be seen. Realizing they must still be inside the burning house, she cursed, spitting on the ground as she stood up.

"Sh*t."

Looking out, she surveyed the street. Twenty-five to thirty, fully armed men paced through the smoke-filled street, pouring catalysts on the flames, and shooting everyone they saw. Men. Women. And children. The houses of her neighbors were burning and reducing themselves to piles of rubbish in the street, and as she watched, she feared the same fate would occur with her own home, her family still inside.

She had to save them.

There was no other option.

With heavy breaths, she prepared herself to charge. She would have to risk being shot but knowing that she was about to lose everything made that risk worth her life. Shutting her eyes for one last moment, she focused her mind and took hasty steps, then fully sprinting, desperately trying to cross the street without being noticed.

It didn't work; her ankle was barely grazed by a bullet, leaving only a small gash, but scaring her enough to scream. Jumping over a burning piece of wood, she stopped to kick over the scorching door inside her house. The door crumbled into smoldering splinters in front of her, and taking one last breath she jumped inside, feeling a crashing wave of heat hit her as she entered.

Surrounded by flames, Thalia desperately tried not to panic. Her ankle stung from the slight injury, and the smoke filling her lungs was enough to make her head spin and her breathing shallow. Her vision seemed to twist in and out as she fought to regain focus.

"STOP IT!" she screamed, clutching her forehead. Shaking, she took a few steps forward, but the movement didn't help. Her head began to feel heavy and she desperately struggled to keep her consciousness. Eyes fluttering open and closed, the orange glow of the fire seemed to consume her, even as she screamed out in terror, but it was no use.

She began to kneel on the ash covered floor, her tired form taking over above her fear of dying. It seemed her mind and body had separated, and as much as she wanted to get off the ground, she couldn't. It was impossible.

Succumbing to her fate, she lay still, clenching her eyes shut and taking in a few smoke-filled breaths. Fear coursed through her, but she remained where she was, powerless to do anything to eliminate it. She counted her breaths, expecting each one to be her last, but when she found herself growing weaker, she heard something… someone calling out. The voice jolted energy through her, and it seemed as though she'd been struck.

It was her mother, crying out.

Listening above the crackling fire, she waited until she heard the weak call again, resonating above the din. They were alive, she had to help them.

She stood up, barely conquering the dizziness as pain shot through her leg. Swaying back and forth, she took a few hesitant steps forward, over burning debris and flaming furniture that had once characterized her home. Each step took what felt like hours, and each inhale burned her, but she fought, making her way towards the doorway where her bedroom used to be.

Leaning against the frame, she stared out into the hazy black and orange scene before her, and in the back of the room she made out her mother and sister's huddled forms. Calling out, she saw her mother's head raise. Relief surged through her; they were alive, for now.

Dodging a falling board from the ceiling above her, she took quicker steps towards them. Pain pulsed through her ankle, but she ignored it as her heart beat faster and faster with anxiety.

Finally reaching her mother, she kneeled beside them, coughing with the pungent smoke that had filled her.

"We have to get out of here," she said between spurts.

Her mother's eyes widened, highlighted by the flames as she shook her head. "They'll shoot us. We have no chance."

"We don't have a chance here either, the building is going to collapse."

Thalia stood, gathering enough strength to gather her sister's limp body in her arms. Looking down into the child's face, she saw that she was still taking a few shallow breaths, but she was unconscious from the black smoke that surrounded them. If she didn't get air soon, she would die.

Thalia watched as her mother raised herself up to follow her, and clutching her sister closer, she began to make her escape just as the building began to groan. Terror ran down her spine as she anticipated the burning mass to fall on top of her, but it held for a few moments longer as they made their way through the kitchen and towards the back door, which was swinging on its red-hot hinges.

Bursting out of the house, Thalia collapsed on the hard concrete, chest heaving as her sister landed beside her. She focused entirely on breathing as she shut her eyes tightly to try and soothe her aching head. Each breath was easier than the last, and it seemed as though a weight was being lifted off her. Eyes closed, she blocked out everything; the fire, her collapsing home, and the menacing footsteps of a stranger, turning the corner with a loaded blaster.

She numbed her mind, that was the only way to force herself from not concentrating on the scene surrounding her. Her sister lay beside her, still oblivious, and her mother was sprawled out behind her, taking heavy breaths as she was. The crackling fire was something she couldn't drown out. The sound roared above everything and she thought there could be nothing louder until she heard the sharp sound of a shot being fired. A flashing light of a bullet shone on her face as the shot struck her mother in the abdomen.

Her eyes flew open, and for the first time she noticed the huge man standing above her. The figure turned towards her sister, and in slow motion another shot rang out, finding a similar place in her sister. Fingers shaking, she managed to draw her blaster in time to shoot her attacker in the head before she received a similar demise. His body thudded on the ground, but Thalia was oblivious as she scrambled across the pavement to her sister's lifeless body, screaming.

"Mara… Mara, please, you can't—" sobs wracked her body, leaving her unable to speak. Looking down into the chest of her sister, she dipped her fingers into the lethal wound, covering them in blood. Rage filled her and she stood up, screaming as hard as she could.

Turning around to find the body of their attacker, Thalia pulled out her blaster once more, filling the carcass with as many bullets as she could muster. She pulled the trigger, over and over, as livid tears streamed down her cheeks. Cursing, she spat on the emaciated corpse, relishing the blood that poured out and filled the street he had died on.

Stepping back, she angrily wiped tears from her face. Snot covered her sleeve and made her shirt sticky, but she didn't care. A lump occupied her airway as the tears continued to flow. She braced herself as she looked around her, a shattered world greeting her wet eyes.

Her family. Dead.

Her home. Burned.

Her future. Bleak.

There was nothing left. She had nothing left. She was a murderer, an orphan, and she had no hope, nothing to cling to. The fire that surrounded her seemed to roar in her face, its heat almost knocking her over, but more than that, the streetfighters turned the corner, their group cheering equally as loud. Another reminder. Another cause. The reason for her demise.

Seeing a girl standing over the body of their comrade, the bustling crowd stopped before her. Their eyes filled with violence as she stood, the obvious killer, in front of them.

A large man stepped forward, carrying a huge rifle. But Thalia remained unmoved as he spoke. He didn't intimidate her. He couldn't. Nothing scared her, now that she had nothing to lose.

"Did you do this?" His deep voice held a threatening tone as the redundant question left his mouth.

Thalia looked up at him audaciously, a blatant expression showing on her face. She didn't care.

"Yeah." The words came out unashamed and she stared up into his face with a fire in her eyes. She was a fighter now, and if she died, she died. She didn't care. Smoke drifted up from behind her as she casually shifted her stance, ready for a fight. She was prepared, regardless of the risk.

"You're going to regret—" As the man cursed her, the overwhelming sound of police sirens drowned him out. Thalia's eyes widened as she saw a police speeder pull up at the scene and men pile out into the street. Sprinting, she ran harder than she'd ever run, away from the crowd; away from her home; and away from her family.

And as she raced away from her past, she found the way straight towards her future

A/N Hello guys!, so, this is a rewrite of my first prologue to this story. I thought the other one was badly written and I wanted to make sure my fanfic started out really good so people got hooked in. If things don't line up exactly as they did before, then this is why. I thought I checked everything, and rewrote everything as accurately as I could, but if I accidentally missed something please don't get mad at me for it. I really don't want to rewrite this whole book, so just give me a little grace. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2: The Cost Of Survival

**One Year Later:**

Thalia crouched on the shadowy roof overlooking the traffic of Coruscant as it passed before her eyes. She was dressed in black hood that was hemmed at the middle of her upper legs, black boots, and a belt that encircled her small waist. She was armed with two knives strapped to her belt and a blaster holstered to her side. She had seen so much in the past year. After her sheltering home had been destroyed, the full weight of the world had been placed on her shoulders, and now that she had only herself to care for, she had one steadfast motive that had pushed her all these months; Survive.

The past week the gang fights on the lower levels had gotten worse, and they were looking for her. They had been for a year, since she'd killed their friend, the one who'd attacked her and her family. But she was too fast, too quick, too experienced. In this past year she had been able to move around the lower levels and leave no trace of her existence, leaving them stumped to her location. She had no home, no family, no one to report to but herself. She was a loner, and eventually she adapted to her new lifestyle and thrived in it.

As she crouched low on the roof, she gave a small glance upwards. There was no sky, it was all dark. The only light came from the lamps in the street and the speeders below. This setting was good for her low-profile lifestyle, but still she wished there was some way that she could make it upwards. Out of this place. To the surface, or even better, another planet. She wished she could start over and create a new life for herself outside of the crime and violence that reigned supremely here.

That was a fantasy though. The republic was torn in the Clone Wars, and it seemed every planet was affected in some way. Violence had infected and spread across the whole entire galaxy, and did the republic do anything to stop it? No. They continued to progress in their ineffective war efforts that cost everyone in the galaxy, even her.

Of course, Thalia herself was not funding the war, but as time progressed Coruscant had attempted to cut back on funds by limiting the natural resources that she and everyone desperately needed. Water was shut off by nightfall, so was light and electricity. Even some foods were being rationed and finding credits to buy things was becoming more and more difficult. That was why Thalia found herself on the roof of that building now.

She shook her head, shattering her scattered thoughts as she attempted to focus on the passing speeders below. She was becoming more and more desperate; more and more bold lately, and today she had finally come to the conclusion that the only way to get the credits she so critically needed was a murder mission. She had stolen things; food, money, weapons, even a speeder at one point, but never had she ever been able to bring herself to kill someone. She thought it was low, like a gang mugging in the streets, but today that changed. She was doing it, all for the goal. Survival.

Breathing deeply, she prepared herself for what was to come as she stood up from her crouching position. She had to jump onto the speeder as it passed, that was the plan. She'd practiced multiple times, and bore the bruises and scrapes from her failure, but finally she'd been able to perfectly time the jump and land on the speeder swiftly and quickly. The question was; which one would be the best speeder to ambush?

She was looking for a speeder in fairly good condition, with a wealthier individual sitting inside, but it was the lower levels, so there weren't many wealthy options to choose from. She'd sat for hours, surveying the streets, and now it was the perfect time to ambush. Most people were on their way home and the streets were full of traffic, which meant more witnesses, but also more options.

Thalia wasn't afraid of witnesses. She'd evaded the police for this long and thought it easy to do so. The police would only hunt for a suspect for so long until they gave up and left the case unsolved, that was why crime was so prevalent. But it wasn't the police's fault. They hadn't been paid enough by the Republic to hunt for murderers and common thieves. They focused all their attention on higher scale crimes, like assassins and Separatist suspects, and that was to her benefit in this case.

She frowned. The sounds of her mother echoed through her head.

"_Always do the good that needs to be done, be the light in this dark dark universe…"_

Mara had always been the good girl of the family; she had been Mama's little angel. Thalia had never been that kind of girl; she'd always played with fire, but never crime, never thievery… never murder.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, she didn't want to do this, and the flashbacks of her mother weren't helping the intense pain that had already been searing her conscience for the past year. This was who she was now. She couldn't turn back. Her mother would want her to survive, and that was what she was doing.

Finally, Thalia spotted a speeder that fit her standards. It was coming at her at a high speed, but she was prepared as she jumped of the security of the roof and onto the unsuspecting speeder with her expert ability. The man inside was a Togruta, and he cried out as she jumped into the seat beside him, pulling out her blaster. He swerved the speeder in an effort to throw her out, but she was practiced. Skilled.

"Pull into the alley," She said, holding the gun steadily and blocking her racing thoughts from her mind. Her hood covered her face, making her look more threatening and blocking her nervous expression. He didn't follow her directions, and she shot the blaster at the windshield, creating a hole and causing the man to scream again. "I said, pull into the alley." She pushed the blaster into his ribcage, and he immediately obeyed.

When they were in the alley, she holstered her blaster, and told him to get out of the speeder.

"Leave it on," she said, knowing the noise of the speeder's motor would block out any possible screams or sounds he made when she did the deed. He did as she requested and got out, his hands up above his head. She climbed up out of the vehicle and watched the man for a second. His head-tails, or Lekku, were stripped blue and his face was some shade of greyish. He looked incredibly scared as she stepped closer to him and grabbed her daggers. She wasn't wasting ammunition on a kill this easy.

But as she walked over to him, she paused for a moment, her mother's face flashing momentarily in her mind.

"Mama, I have to do this…" she whispered, fighting the tears of guilt as she stood there stupidly, hesitating.

The man took advantage of her hesitation and made a break for it, trying desperately to get away, but she was still too skilled for him.

Throwing one of her daggers, it landed with a satisfying thud into his shoulder, causing him to stumble for a moment in pain. She caught up to him before he'd escaped the alley, and as he looked up, his eyes of fear flashed before her own eyes in slow motion as she sliced skillfully into his throat, fatally injuring him. He fell backward onto the street and bled out into the road as he attempted to make some sort of scream, but he couldn't. He thrashed for only a moment as she watched regretfully at his pain before he died and let his hand fall to the ground, limp.

A single tear streaked down her cheek as she watched his eyes become glossy. She wiped it from her face, angrily, as she felt too weak to resist the urge to cry. She was eighteen, this shouldn't be a problem. She was stronger than most people living here, and because of her strength she had been able to make this kill. She would get enough credits to eat for a few weeks, and possibly get up to the surface. But all of that seemed so worthless as she stared at his body, where blood still flowed. She felt so horrible, so corrupted, but she pushed it all away as she kneeled down to the ground and inspected his coat pockets, like a dirty thief.

She found his identification, a few pieces of paper, and then finally his wallet.

As she opened the wallet up, she felt the weight of credits inside. It jingled with the immense amount of credits that it contained. For a small moment she felt satisfied, almost rewarded for what she had done, until something dropped onto the ground from inside a pocket in the wallet.

It was a piece of paper, that had been slightly damaged by the man's blood as it had soaked onto one corner. Curious, Thalia picked up the sheet and turned it over to see what had been printed on the other side. What she saw brought a torrential and destructive wave of guilt and shame that passed over her and crushed her to pieces. On the piece of paper was the picture of two girls and a woman who she assumed to be their mother, and as she saw the picture, she couldn't help but identify with the oldest girl, who looked about her age. She saw the faces of herself and her sister in the faces of the man's daughters, and she began to cry angry sobs of regret as she realized she was no better than the gang members that has torn apart her own family. They'd killed her mother, and she'd killed their father. There was no difference, she had turned into the very thing that had murdered her mother.

Sobs racked her body as she sat rocking in the street by the body of the man she'd murdered out of desperation. Everything fell apart in that moment. She cried for the man, she cried for his daughters, she cried for herself, but overall, she cried for her family. She had never allowed tears to flow in all the months after their deaths, she had been too focused on her survival. But now all was let loose, flowing out from the deepest parts of herself there in the alleyway. She missed the security, or at least its illusion. She missed the hope, the happiness they shared, but now as she sat there, she couldn't help but feel as if she'd let them down. She was a murderer, a common criminal.

Tears mingled with snot and flyaway wisps of hair that now stuck to her face as she tried to wipe it all away. She took off her hood and came closer to the man now dead in the street. She placed the picture agonizingly in his hand and clasped her hand around his own cold one.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered to him softly. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

Grabbing her daggers and replacing then in their sheaths, she stood up, his wallet in hand. It jingled as she stepped away from him, and the weight of the credits inside bore down on her conscience more than her palm. Hearing footsteps, she made her way to a dumpster in the alley and hid in the shadows as people began to yell for the police. Replacing her hood over her face, she climbed on top of the dumpster and made her way to a ladder that led to the rooftops above, where she seemed to spend most of her time. She went almost silently and unnoticed except by another hooded figure that stood watching her from below, but she had no time to get rid of the witness as sirens began to blare in the streets racing towards her.

She expertly ran, jumping over a gap between buildings swiftly and skillfully, and landing in the shadows above. Where she paused to look back. The police and many civilians stood crowded around her masterpiece, completely oblivious to her presence. She watched as they wrapped up the body and paused before loading it onto a newly arriving ambulance. A medical droid checked the pulse and vital signs to ensure it was actually dead. It was, and one last wave of guilt passed over her as she saw the body disappear from sight, into the vehicle as it sped away.

Her mother's face passed into her vision again and she pushed it aside, as her fighting spirit finally returned.

"This is who I am now, Mama…" she whispered into the cold air. "There's no turning back anymore." She knew it was true and clutched the credits in her hand with a tighter grip as she gave one final look into the crowd below. She turned away from the throng as she pushed all images that evoked guilt from her mind. One thought now reigned true in her mind now. The motive that had pushed her this far. Survival. The cost of survival is a price we all must pay, and Thalia's strength grew as she knew had just paid that price and would live to fight another day.

Down below the hooded figure still watched as the girl in the hood disappeared from his view. He turned on his com link as he walked away from the scene which she had so skillfully executed. Once he got away from the noise, he whispered quietly hoping she wasn't still watching him.

"I found one, Jarkin. I've found us an assassin."

He made his way back with a plan hatching in his mind. This girl was special, and he knew just how to use her.


	3. Chapter 3: Catching the Serpent

Kiran walked down the garbage strewn street, hoping the girl wasn't following him. He didn't want to have to kill her if she attacked him. He laughed quietly. If he killed her, he'd have gotten rid of a valuable asset. She was strong, capable, and smart, just as he had been when he'd first started.

Of course, she was a little bit sloppy. He'd watched her cry after she'd stabbed the Togruta that first night he'd seen her. He imagined she'd been through a lot. The way he'd watched her cry struck even his cold soul, but you can't do that on a mission. Hesitance and emotions were the tripwires to downfall. Safety was just an illusion, and it was the strong against the stronger in this world, there's no place for the weak. Every man for himself. That was what he'd learned.

He'd been following her for a week after he'd noticed her. She'd killed three other people since then, and after that one night, she hadn't hesitated at all. She was working for something. Earning enough credits to get off the planet most likely. Smart move, but then what? What would she do with her life then? She obviously had no home to return to, or family, which was made her the perfect target for him. She could just fall off the grid and come to work with him. They could make so much more than the few credits she was mugging off people every day, and he could teach her all he knew, and make her the best assassin in the business.

Personally, he didn't know why he was so obsessed with finding this girl. He was making good money alone, just him and Jarkin; but something had drawn him to her. Maybe it was the way she reminded him of himself. A scared orphan boy, surviving the only way he knew how. He shook his head; He didn't want to remember that. There were too many hurts there. Too many emotional scars.

He looked up into the rooftops, where the girl seemed to spend most of her time. She didn't even have a home, which amazed him, and the only weapons she seemed to be using were two little daggers and a blaster for when she was in real danger. She hid out up there, watching, waiting for the best moment to strike, like a serpent, which is what he was calling her for the moment.

His com link began to blink, and he knew it was Jarkin, who was antsy to leave. They needed to get off the planet to find a new assignment. Jarkin had been gambling a little too much in the local bars and had easily managed to lose all his portion of the last kill. That was why Kiran was the superior assassin, because he managed to earn money, and keep it without much of a problem. He'd spent enough time without funds to go and waste it all in a pointless game. But Jarkin obviously had not, so his habits manifested themselves in lack of money, and desperate pleas to Kiran for funds, only to go and waste them again.

Groaning, Kiran spoke into the link with a sarcastic tone. He didn't have time to chat. He had to find this girl. "What is it?"

"I swear, if you're not back within the hour, I'm going to the surface and leaving this grimy planet without you. You can find this girl alone, without me!" Jarkin's demands didn't surprise or upset him. He knew that Jarkin needed him too desperately to leave him here. Kiran was with all the power, and that was the way he liked it.

"That's fine, just come pick me up when you need some money to refuel the hypertank." Kiran laughed as he spoke the words, knowing that he'd gotten on the nerves of his friend. "I have to find this girl. She got away from me last night."

Jarkin cursed at him, angry but helpless to do anything more to dissuade Kiran. He would find the serpent, if it was the last thing he did.

_Above in the rooftops_

Thalia watched the man in the hood that had been tracking her for so long. He was talking to someone, and she was straining to hear their conversation, but he was too far and all she could hear was muddled voices. Frustrated, she sighed as the man continued to walk down the street, finished with his conversation. He was obviously looking for her, for whatever reason. She didn't know if he was a friend or enemy, but she figured there was only one way to find out. She had to confront him.

Quietly she jumped down from the roof and landed almost silently. He was turning the corner of the street now, and drawing out her knives, she took the back alley as a shortcut and went to catch up with him. He was tall, muscular, and from what she could tell he was a human, like her. She came up behind him, and from the shadows, called out to him, questioning.

"Who are you?" He turned around, unsurprised by her presence, and drew out his own weapons. Prepared for a fight, she crouched low and waited for him to pounce. They stood there for almost a whole minute, waiting, watching, breathing and staring into the shadowy eyes of their opponent.

He stood up from his defensive position, hoping she wouldn't attack as he took off his hood and holstered his blaster. She remained in her position, but her eyes changed slightly when his hood fell from his head and lay on his shoulders, the streetlights outlining his face and features for her to see plainly.

A jagged scar crowned his forehead and ended near his dark eyes which were empty, void of any emotion or feeling of any kind. His hair was brown and was swept to the side, as a few strands fell and covered his eyes. His jaw was set, and his mouth was frowning in thought as he took in her form the same way she did his.

"My name is Kiran." He said, and she repeated the name in her mind, wondering if she'd met him before. "Its nice to finally meet you." He smirked at her as she stood in the shadows away from him.

"You can come out now," Kiran said, his smile mocking her. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it easily with my blaster." She looked down at her shaking hands and realized her knives would've done nothing against him. He was obviously experienced, unlike her. She straightened and walked out from the shadows where she'd been hiding for so long. She left her hood where it was, but allowed him to see her in the light, where her curves and form took shape. He watched her for a moment, just as she'd done to him. He took everything in through his dark empty eyes and left her blushing under her cloak.

Kiran coughed as he realized he'd been staring. She was beautiful, and he hadn't been able to see her fully in the shadows where she lurked, but now seeing her, his heart began to pick up pace and an excitement that he hadn't felt in a while crept into his mind and heart. He wished she would take off the hood, but he was too stoic to ask. He had to save face, and not let her see his thoughts. He didn't have time for emotions especially not the ones he was feeling.

Pulling his racing thoughts back together, Kiran looked straight into her shadowy face. "Are you going to tell me who you are, or…?" Kiran's voice faded as she looked down towards the ground nervously. Shifting her position, she finally decided.

"That depends…" she said, waiting for his response as her pulse raced inside of her and she felt the blood burning in her veins like liquid fire.

He smirked, mocking her "tough" countenance. "On what?"

She was surprised by his sarcasm but remained calm as she spoke. "It depends on why you're asking."

He cleared his throat. She was smart, and she had caught onto him. He cursed in his head and spit on the ground. He hated emotions. Jarkin was right, he should've left this girl and gone on their next job. He was stupid to see himself in this girl, but something in him stopped from turning and walking away. What was it that drew him to her? It couldn't only be what he saw in her. It was something else. Some sort of connection; and it made him angry to simply be following a girl because he felt a connection. That was soft, and unlike him.

He sighed, frustrated with whatever war that was going on inside him, but decided not to leave her, and began to explain whatever he had been trying to do for the past week.

"I've been following you." He started, watching to see her response.

She nodded, glaring at him. "I know." Obviously, she didn't like that she'd been found, but she couldn't help it. He was a master at what he did.

"I saw what you did to that Togruta." Her face didn't change as he'd expected it to. Only her eyes flashed for a moment and then returned to their icy cold stare as she searched him for clues of why he was here. "You did a good job not getting caught," he turned, and grabbed his blaster, inspecting the barrel and pretending to be uninterested in her murdering escapade. "but you also did a sloppy job of killing him."

She gasped and grabbed her blaster in case he was going to shoot her. Good. She didn't trust anyone.

"Yeah?" She replied, "You couldn't do better?" He laughed at her attempt of a challenge.

"I could demonstrate on you right now," He said, glaring at her with a hatred for getting to him. For touching the part of him that had been dead for so long. She was a stupid girl, and he was an experienced killer. "I could take you any day."

They stood in a thick silence, waiting for the invitation to shoot. But none of them did, none of them could.

Thalia's hands held her blaster steadily aimed at Kiran. She liked him, but she was ready to shoot him in a heartbeat if it came to it. Her blood rushed intensely, her ears rang, and her mind shouted the one cry that had been on repeat since the disaster.

_Survive! Survive!_

But as hard as she focused on pulling the trigger, she couldn't, and neither could he. They both breathed heavily until finally Thalia put down her blaster and placed her hands on her hips. Kiran was furious, but he did the same as she and waited until she finally broke the silence that screamed so loudly in their faces.

"You were saying?"

Kiran didn't know if she was taunting him for not shooting her or telling him to continue with what he was saying before. He chose the latter, seeing as he couldn't bring himself to kill her.

"You're sloppy," he grimaced, shooting daggers at her through his eyes. "And you need a teacher if you're wanting to get anywhere in life."

Thalia laughed. "Some teacher", she whispered under her cloak. His face didn't change as she realized he was telling the truth. She was shocked, but also relieved. A chance to get out of here. A chance to run away. This was what she'd been hoping for since the disaster and finally it was being offered to her, by this sarcastic but strangely charming person she had never met. Her heart raced as she looked into his eyes and he waited for a response. She didn't know what to say at first, then finally the words stumbled out.

"Fine."

"Fine?" He said. "If you have other options waiting for you, princess, please consider them. I don't want to waste your time at all." Her face moved into a frustrated glare and he realized his sarcasm, but he didn't apologize. He had to have some dignity left after this encounter.

"I don't have any other options, and I'm not a princess. My name is Thalia." She said, sighing, annoyed at him. She took off her hood, and he hated her for it. She was beautiful, through and through. He moved his gaze down towards the ground as he repeated her name in his mind. _Thalia._

"Alright." He turned out away from her and saw a flashing light on his com link again. "Jarkin, I've found her, we're coming back." He turned off the link completely so that Jarkin's responses could not be heard. No doubt when he got back, he would be furious, but it was fine.

"Do you have a ship?" Thalia asked, replacing her hood as he did the same.

"Yes, its at the surface." He started running away from her in a silent command for her to follow. She did as he wanted, and raced of behind him, wondering if she'd made the right choice in going with him.

Author's note: Alrighty guys, so, this is basically an improv story lol. I just start writing on a basic idea and then let the characters do whatever they want, but I don't have a clue for what is going to happen next chapter, so please please leave a response and tell me what you think should happen. Obviously the relationship between Thalia and Kiran should grow, but idk anything else. I always love to read your reviews so please leave a comment and have a great day!


	4. Chapter 4: The Start of a Journey

Kiran walked onto his ship while Thalia followed behind. He knew she was in awe of the ship, and the surface of the planet. He wanted to ask her if she'd ever been up this far, but he didn't want to start a conversation with her, and he imagined he already knew the answer. She took in every single detail, letting nothing slip past her. He'd forgotten what that was like; Wonder, excitement. He wished he could feel that again but was too afraid to open himself up again. It only left him hurt.

Turning a corner into a small hallway he led her to one of the sleeping compartments. The chamber was small and dark, but he imagined she'd be used to it.

"This'll be your room." He muttered, hoping that Jarkin would get here soon so they could take off. She looked around the room from underneath her hood. Even with the cloak he could still feel her excitement as she put her blaster on the bed in the corner. He watched as she made a small circle, taking in the whole circumference of the room in one long look. He was disgusted at her open emotions. He would have to train that out of her. He had no time for an emotional baggage train on a job. It would get them both killed.

"There's a storage compartment above you," He said, walking over to her and opening it. "You can put all of your stuff in it." She placed her blaster and the knives in the compartment, and then stepped back. He stared at her for a second, his brows furrowed in confusion, then he realized; The weapon in her hands and the clothes on her back were the only things she had. Nothing else. He felt a twinge of something for her. Was that empathy? No. Why did she do this to him?

He stepped back as she sat down on the bed. She looked at him for a moment and set his heart on fire, before turning to a small window where she watched the sun set. Her eyes sparkled as the light shone on her face. He imagined that was a new feeling for her, the feeling of the sunlight. He remembered sitting in the sun as a boy, with his mother. His brother had always loved making shadows from the light. They'd made so many animals, some fake, some real, and would have little shadow battles where his animal would eat his brother's. They spent hours outside, as the sun would move they would chase it, wishing the light would stay when their mother called them inside for supper.

He felt a wave of sadness as he remembered those days. He'd tried for years to push them away, and for a while he had been able to. He'd made it to the point when he stopped hearing his brother's screams as he went to bed, and he forgot his mother's pain and wails as he executed his kills. He'd been able to stop seeing their faces as he stabbed his victims, and the numb feeling has engulfed him for so long. He hated Thalia for awakening him. He liked being strong, being cold. It was the only way to survive. Didn't she know that?

He moved towards the door, wanting to escape her effects on him. Turning, he gave her one last look as she took the hood off from over her face. Bad Idea. He should've just walked out without looking back. Part of him died as he watched her comb flyaway hairs from her face, and he felt as though he was in a trance. She unbuttoned the whole cloak completely and was about to take it off before looking up and wondering why he was still there. She gave him an inquisitive look.

"Uh, is there something else you needed?" She grasped the cloak between her fingers, and for the first time he noticed how spattered with blood it was. It was more red than black, and as he took in the marks of her accomplishments, his gaze moved up to her face. Her eyes stared back, she was judging him so much, and for some reason that made him feel a physical pang of emotion in his chest. It shocked him. He'd never been embarrassed before, especially not by an insignificant girl.

He let out a sharp frustrated sigh as he moved his eyes away from her hypnotic form. "No. Just get ready to go, we'll need to go by the marketplace on the other side of the planet to get you some new clothes. You can't wear that on a mission." He glared at her before he walked out, hoping she saw how angry he was with her. He walked out into the cockpit and sat down, left to ponder whatever war was going on inside him. Alone.

She didn't even do anything inappropriate, so what was the deal? He cursed. He should drop her off at the nearest trash heap and leave her there. What had he been thinking? What _was _he thinking? How did he possibly think that he could train her? There was no way. No possible way. She was only a petty thief; she couldn't do anything that could possibly benefit him. So why did he want to keep her? What was this stupid connection that forced him towards her? He put his head in his hands and calmed his mind in the only way he knew how; by thinking of his last kill.

The screams had permeated the thick air as he'd stabbed her. She had been the girlfriend of an expensive arms dealer, a Twi'lek slut. Her blood had spilled satisfyingly onto his hands, and the warmth had soothed him for a moment as he turned around to her boyfriend as the last of her life ebbed form her body.

"Your girlfriend is dead," He had said to the man who they had tied to the post in the warehouse on Tatooine. "Are you going to tell me where the cannons are, or should you be next?" The man had complied, and they'd killed him anyway. More money for them. It was all a game, and they'd just destroyed their opponent.

Kiran continued rummaging through violent memories as Jarkin walked in with a small bag of jingling credits; the only prize he'd been able to scrape together from the casino. The Nautolan pilot looked him in the face and saw something was up. He looked around, and saw the girl wasn't there. Giving him a questioning look he broke Kiran's thoughts as he spoke.

"Where is she? Did you kill her?"

Kiran gritted his teeth as he was called back to reality. Seeing Jarkin's prize, he grabbed the bag of credits from Jarkin as he swore. "I should've."

Jarkin laughed. "What'd she do?" He payed no attention to Kiran's aggressive tone as he threw his blaster onto a nearby table. This girl had gotten to him, and that was surprising. He'd been trying for years to get under Kiran's skin. Who knew it only took a girl?

"None of your business." Kiran said as he stormed off to his own chambers. "Get to work, we have to get the little scumbag some new equipment."

Jarkin laughed as he walked into the cockpit. He wanted to meet this girl, whoever she was. She sounded very interesting. He threw the ship into gear and took off, making his way to the marketplace where they often bought their goods.

Thalia, sat in her chamber, watching in awe out the window as the ship flew through the city. She had never seen the sky before, only holograms, and it was more beautiful than she'd ever imagined. As she passed through the sea of colored speeders, she watched the sky scrapers that stood taller than she'd ever imagined. The tallest buildings were encircled in a hazy ring of clouds that shone pink in the setting sun. She wished Mara were here to see this with her. They had both dreamed of coming to the surface and seeing something this beautiful together, but now her sister was dead and had left without even getting to see the sun once in her short lifetime.

"_Thalia!..." _ Her sisters scream pierced her mind as she turned away from the window and drew the curtain over the beautiful sky above, shutting both the cries and the view from her mind.

She lay down on the bed and wondered what her sister would think of her now. Would she hate her just as Thalia hated herself? "_Yes"_, a silent voice told her. Tears came to her eyes; she didn't blame her. She was a monster, and she'd embraced fully the life that her sister had tried so hard to steer away from.

Mara wanted no part of the path Thalia now tread on. Thalia had gotten herself her first blaster at twelve and was tampering with the life that she now lived. She was mouthy, up for a fight, and she didn't take crap from anyone. People had taken advantage of Mara and her mother too often for Thalia to follow in their passive footsteps, and now that she saw where she was now, she almost regretted it.

She shook her head and exhaled the breath that she'd been holding to stop the pain. "Stop it! This is who you are! You would have never survived if you hadn't done what you'd done." Crying out, she pushed everything out. Why did this happen to her every time? Every time she left herself alone to think, the same things crawled back into her mind. She couldn't do that anymore; not with this job.

She knew Kiran was unimpressed with her lack of stoic behavior. Thalia didn't see the problem. She'd learned to turn her emotions off and on and could execute a perfect kill now without even flinching, that was what drew him to her in the first place. An image of the Togruta she'd murdered flashed momentarily and she shuddered. That kill was the one exception. She had let everything loose then, and she hadn't been able to stop it. Tears welled up in her eyes but didn't flow out onto her cheeks.

"At least I feel something!" She scoffed. She couldn't believe him sometimes. How could he stand to be so numb all the time? Feeling was the one way she let loose, the only way she coped.

"I can tell its working well for you." His imaginary voice mocked her. "You're sloppy!"

Thalia wished she could slap him, or even better, shoot him. Why hadn't she last night when they'd met in the alley? She let out a frustrated groan and flopped onto her bed, shutting her eyes and hoping she would fall asleep and drown herself in a haze far from reality.

Author's Note: So, recently I've been able to get out a few chapters fairly quickly but don't think its a permanent thing lol. I have homework and a whole other story that I haven't updated in about two weeks, so enjoy this while it lasts :) comment, follow, favorite, do your thing, its whatever.


	5. Chapter 5: The Rage of the Assassin

As Thalia and Jarkin entered the ship with the new equipment, she saw Kiran standing before a holo-image of a man, a shadowy figure, who was cloaked and heavily armored with a blaster and other weapons she couldn't even name. The sight of the hologram sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know if they were shivers of excitement or dread, but regardless she put on a poker face as she stood behind Kiran and Jarkin, hoping she knew what she was getting into.

"I see you've found us a new recruit." The hologram turned to face her, and she could feel her eyes widen as Kiran turned to address her quaking presence.

"She's merely a girl we picked off the streets, she needs training, among many other things, but she'll be ready eventually." Kiran's spiteful words cut her deeply. Thalia raised her chin in an effort to look stronger than she actually was. What did they think the was, a child? She was experienced! She had killed four or five people in the last week, and all she'd seen Kiran do was mess around. She shot a fiery glare in his direction as words leaped off her tongue and into the air, almost regretfully.

"I hope you don't expect him to train me," she started, seeing Kiran's eyes narrow at her and sending stubborn pride rushing through her veins. He was angry with her. Good. "He's about as sloppy as I am and twice as hesitant."

Jarkin burst out laughing and broke the thick silence that stood between them. He wasn't used to people getting under Kiran's skin, and the sight of it brought him amusement. He liked this girl, he hoped Kiran wouldn't kill her too soon. He couldn't wait to watch this play out.

"Is there a problem, pilot?" The hologram turned to face Jarkin and silenced him almost immediately. Kiran's rage boiled, and you could feel its heat radiating through the air. "Kiran, I hope what this girl says isn't true," the figure grabbed a blaster from a belt that was strapped at his waist. "Otherwise, you know what happens." Thalia's eyes widened again, as the man's threat took hold.

"It isn't, the girl doesn't know what she is talking about." Kiran cast a sidelong glance at her, a message of his rage. Looking up at the figure, he stood stoic and reverent to the man in the image, a characteristic much unlike Kiran. Thalia watched quizzically as the man finished inspecting her and Kiran and gave his final words.

"Good. You've received your orders, and I trust you'll fill in your partners." Kiran nodded as the figure, gave a sly smile. "Good, until later." The image flashed before collapsing out of view as Kiran turned towards Thalia and the pilot.

"Jarkin, set the course for Mandalore, I'll deal with this one." Jarkin's eyes widened as he turned to execute his orders. She watched Jarkin exit the room with dread as she felt more alone than ever. She took a deep breath as she prepared to face Kiran's overwhelming wrath that loomed over her.

Kiran merely stood there in front of her, his dark eyes searing her skin. She poised herself for a fight, although she knew she couldn't win against him.

"So, you think its funny to taint my reputation before out contact?"

"What I said was true," she said, facing him with the illusion of equal strength. "I don't think your benefactor knows that."

Kiran kicked her legs out from under her and left her gasping on the floor. She reached up to pull him down towards her, but he kicked her arms away and jumped on top of her, placing his knife at the bridge of her neck. She attempted to roll away from him and grab her blaster, but he slashed her arm, leaving a sizeable gash that gushed blood. She stopped fighting and gritted her teeth against the pain. Kiran replaced his knife back at her neck and paused as he waited for any other attempts of struggle from her. When she lay still, he spat on the floor beside her face, a spray reaching her cheeks and eyes.

"I guess my reputation doesn't proceed me." His breathing slowed as he watched her quaking fear, relishing it. "I kill whelps like you for a living, you're lucky I haven't killed you already."

Thalia lay beneath him, fear rushing through her veins. The overwhelming stress of survival screamed in her ears, but she pushed it away, almost hoping that he would kill her. She looked into his eyes, tears brimming as she waited for him to strike her further. She shook her head and turned away as she submitted fully to him. Whatever he was going to do was in his hands, she didn't have anything to live for anyway.

As silence hung thickly in the air, Thalia opened her tightly clenched eyes, confused. "Why haven't you?" The question was softly spoken, but it struck Kiran harder than any blow he'd inflicted on her. That was the very question he'd been asking himself for the last forty-eight hours, and he still hadn't been able to find an answer.

He got off of her, realizing how cruel he had been. He sheathed his knife and stood up, not even offering to help Thalia, who was still laying on the ground as a singular tear streamed down her cheeks. _Pathetic_, he thought, but something softened momentarily as she wiped away the tear quickly and stood up herself, clutching the arm where he'd cut her.

He stood silently for a moment, conflicted, as he watched her stumble away from him, fear still filling her wet eyes. He sneered. _Stupid girl_. She was weak and didn't deserve to be alive, yet she still was.

"Don't make me regret sparing you." He said, turning and walking towards his quarters, the door gliding shut behind him.

Thalia sank to the floor, not even caring about her wound. Tears streamed down. She was so weak, she couldn't even defend herself from him, and he knew it. She was so stupid. Why did he do that to her, she barely even insulted him? She wiped her face and looked up to see Jarkin standing above her, holding gauze and bandages in his hands.

"I thought you would need these." He brought himself down next to her and treated her wound silently. She gritted her teeth as Jarkin stopped the bleeding and applied the gauze as gently as her mother. She was surprised to find his careful touch and attentive manner, it touched her deeply. He was the first person who'd truly taken care of her since the disaster, and it almost brought even more tears to her eyes.

She looked up at him quizzically as he finished securing the bandage. "I thought you assassins were all the same; Ruthless."

Jarkin shook his head as he stood up and extended a hand for her. She took it and waited for his response as he helped her up. "That's just Kiran. He's always been this way, but I think it's worse with you." She was confused. Worse with her? Why? They'd just met. How could she possibly deserve a knifing after just meeting him?

"Why would he go harder on me?" She cradled her arm and followed Jarkin into the cockpit, where the ship was autopiloting itself through hyperspace. Jarkin sat down with a shrug.

"I have no idea. You get under his skin worse than anyone ever has."

They both sat for a moment in silenced as they raced through the expanse of space, stars flashing by them through the windshield. Jarkin turned to her with an expression of sympathy.

"Kiran has experienced a lot in his life, worse than you could imagine. Trust me. He'll be much worse if you push him further."

She rubbed her arm, trying to soothe the wound that she'd just earned. Jarkin turned to the control panel and began bringing the ship out of hyperspace. They both sat in silence as she watched a planet come into form before her eyes.

"What are we doing here?" she whispered almost silently.

Kiran spoke unexpectedly from behind her, causing her to jolt in fear. "What we always do. Killing."

Author's Note: Hey, so sorry I haven't updated this story in a while. Its been a little crazy with summer approaching and final projects and tests due. I am going to be out of school sometime next week, and by then I'll be way more available to update this story and my other ones. Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6: Welcome to Mandalore

Kiran sat on the roof of the building they were staying in as he watched the Mandalorian city below him. A metropolis.

Through all his career Kiran had wanted to do a job here. The city was rich, beautiful, and the people were so peaceful that they barely carried weapons; a byproduct of the new pacifist regime, a weak administration in his opinion. He laughed under his breath. "Pacifists…" He whispered the name like a curse word knowing the truth about "peaceful governments" such as the one on Mandalore. Peace was the illusion of weaklings, and the people here were living in that deceptional haze beautifully. They spent their time campaigning for new reforms, and never paid attention to the war that was being raged outside of their crystal glass dome and even the violent poison that was making its way through their cities, it all went unnoticed. Much to his delight.

Kiran looked around him, surveying the street that lay open before him. His eyes finally rested on a group of boys, playing in the street below him. They were playing prime minister and one boy seemed to be ruling supremely over the others as they scurried compliantly around him. He mocked them silently. They weren't playing war; they weren't fighting for a cause they represented. The boys simply debated in the street, completely enthralled in their bizarre game of politics. The game amused Kiran, and he watched knowing full well that the boys would never learn to fight, they would never learn to kill; They would simply live their ordinary lives in full compliance to their leader that manipulated them like puppets on a string.

Not Kiran. The universe was his for the taking.

Thalia sat beside him, awkwardly rubbing the arm where he'd left a mark. She wondered why he'd called her here and sat fearfully beside him, hoping that he wouldn't push her off the edge of the building, as he seemed so apt to doing. After the knifing, Thalia had steered completely clear of Kiran both out of Jarkin's direction, and her own anxiety of him. She wondered when she was going to be trained, and how she was going to help on the mission, but Kiran did not seem inclined to tell her, so she simply sat next to him, her hood laying on her shoulders and her hand positioned close to her blaster.

"It's time to start your training." Kiran spoke softly, shattering her thoughts. He expected her to come up with some hasty retort, but when she had none he continued, happy he'd finally molded her into compliance. "I want you to walk into that bar down there and kill the wealthiest guy without anyone noticing." Thalia breathed in, trying to relax her frenzied nerves as she prepared herself for the task at hand. Kiran turned to her, smiling "Oh and one more thing," he laughed. "No weapons."

Thalia's eyes widened as she imagined the horror of what she was about to do. She would have to put his eyes out or snap his neck; either option did not seem appealing to her as she stood up, putting her hood over her face.

Kiran held out his hand to collect her knives and blaster, and she reluctantly gave them to him as he stared up mockingly into her face. "You want to make a scene?" She stood, confused.

"What do you mean?" She quietly waited as Kiran holstered her blaster and put her knives in his satchel.

"I mean the hood." He turned to face her again. "Look at all those people down there." He gestured out at the peaceful crowd. "Almost everyone down there is wearing some shade of white. You walk down there in a jet-black hood; they'll start following you. Immediately."

Thalia stood angrily for a moment before letting her mouth take control, regrettably. "You're telling me I have to walk down there, completely unarmed, unprotected, and face completely open for observation, and I have to kill someone? Alone? I doubt you could even do that."

Kiran's jaw clenched and she could tell he was getting angry, "I could demonstrate on you right now if you wanted. Now get down there before I have to have Jarkin hide your body. I know he hates doing that."

Thalia took off the hood and threw it at Kiran as she stomped away from him, making her way towards the side of the building where she could jump down unnoticed. Taking a running start, she gracefully threw herself off the edge and landed on her feet at the brim of the unsuspecting street. Looking out towards the crowd, she made her way into the center of the throng of people, where she cast one last look up to Kiran, who had remained in his last position. Disgusted, she sneered at him as she turned away as she made her way towards her assigned destination.

Walking inside the tiny tavern, Thalia surveyed her surroundings and saw that there were very little people there. She put on her game face as she selected a target, an aging attorney by the looks, and sat down at a table strategically placed across from him.

As she sat there, she selected her attack plan. She could offer him a drink, get him drunk, and carry him outside to finish the job; She shook her head. That plan took too long, and she didn't have the strength to haul a full-sized man out of the tavern.; She would have to think of something else.

Immediately she knew what she had to do, and she despised the idea completely, but she had no choice. Kiran would kill her if she walked out empty handed. She would have to woo him. Use her body. Lure him in then take him out. There was no other option.

Looking up at him, she cast him a mystic look, batting her lashes and twirling a flyaway strand of hair. He caught on immediately, much to her advantage. She almost gagged as he returned her stare with an equally intense one and looking back and forth between him and the door, she gave him a silent plea to come outside with her, hoping that he would be tipsy enough to comply.

She stood up, turning her back away from him and walking towards the exit, letting her hips sway a little more than usual as she reached the door. The exit opened and she made her way through after turning her head back at him one last time and making eye contact, he stood up and followed, stumbling slightly with the haze that his drinks had created in his head.

She waited outside for him, standing with one leg positioned on the wall as the door glided open and he made his way out, coming towards her with an awkward walk.

"Hello little lady," he said, his breath smelling distinctly of alcohol.

"Hi," Thalia said enticingly as he attempted to take her by the waist. She pushed him away, and gave a look up at Kiran, who was watching the exchange intently and jealously.

Turning back to the man she whispered into his ear, seeing an alley where she could execute the act out of sight. "Come with me," she spoke softly as she grasped his hands and led him through the crowd across the street to the kill site, the place of his demise.

"Are we going to your hotel sweetie?" His voice held a slur, a result of the alcohol he had ingested. She knew the sound distinctly from her childhood experiences but held her composure as she turned to him flirtatiously.

"Yes, follow me." She gave a wink just for the satisfaction, as she helped him around the corner to the alley. Finally, she turned so that she was facing him, clenching her fists as she took a deep breath and shut off her brain. He took her change in position as an invitation to put his arms around her and grab her butt. She almost screamed as his face came closer to hers and his lips landed on the side of her neck. Pushing away from him, she kicked him in the stomach, and he fell to the ground, clutching his middle.

"What are you doing, honey?" He gasped for air as he looked up into her eyes. Standing over him, she felt anger rising insider of her, how dare he treat her like that? Disgusting pervert.

"You're going to regret calling me that." She kicked him again before kneeling over him, placing her hands on his jaw and his neck. He screamed as he realized what she was doing, but the sound died as she jerked his head too far back, shattering his neck and killing him instantly. She looked out at the open street, and saw the police headed straight towards her. Turning around she almost ran straight into Kiran, who stood directly behind her.

"Took you long enough." He said, taking her by the arm and pulling her the opposite direction of their pursuers.

"I did what you asked!" She said, jerking her arm free and running on her own without him helping her.

"Not without him kissing up on you! I was about to come in and take care of him for you!" He turned his face towards her and gave her a look she'd never seen before. Was that… Jealousy? No, it couldn't be.

They stopped at the end of the alley and looked out into the busy road. Thalia paused for a second, felling at home on the streets. Looking around she found an oncoming speeder and turned to Kiran as he was about to jump out of the alley.

"Give me my knives." She said, holding out her hands. He got them quickly, as the police sirens came closer and closer. "Hurry!" He handed the knives to her and she clipped them to her belt frantically as she explained the plan to Kiran.

"Listen, you're going to hold my hand or my arm or something, and you're going to jump with me onto a speeder. I'll kill the driver while you watch the back of the speeder for the police, got it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No." she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out into the street, where the speeder was heading straight towards them. "Get ready…" she whispered as the speeder came closer and closer. Flashbacks of coruscant ran through her head as she prepared herself, "Get a running start!" She sprinted straight at the speeder and jumped. The air was forcibly struck from her lungs as felt herself smacking the front windshield as they both landed. But there was no time for recuperating, she got up and drew her knives, preparing herself for the next task.

The woman in the front seat screamed as she pulled the throttle upwards and lifted the speeder into a higher altitude. Thalia braced herself as Kiran went through with the plan as skillfully as he could, he looked back at her once and nodded for her to kill the woman, and Thalia stepped over the windshield and turned all her thoughts off as she slashed open the woman's throat, and pushed her into the other seat.

Manipulating the control's Thalia grabbed the speeder and screamed as she nosedived the speeder downward into the sea of traffic, the sirens still screaming behind them. As she drove, her mind went numb, she remained emotionless as she mechanically brought the speeder to ground level. Kiran threw himself in the seat next to her and shoved the body into the back without any regard that it she had been living less than a minute ago.

"'I need to call Jarkin on my com link!" Kiran shouted, clenching the sides of the speeder for his life. "He can bring the ship around, and we can get out of here!"

"Leave it to me, I have an idea!" She turned her head to momentarily glance at him before, veering the speeder to avoid oncoming traffic. "Do you have your satchel?" Thalia desperately hoped he had the grenades inside.

"Yeah, what are you thinking?" Kiran grabbed the bag and rummaged inside.

"Do you have the grenades we bought on coruscant?" He nodded and handed her three of them. "Do you have a detonator too?" He grabbed one and held it up for her to see. She let go of the controls and Kiran dove for it desperately.

"What are you doing? Do you want us to die?!"

"Shut up! Just drive for a second, can you handle that?" Kiran let out a groan of frustration as Thalia jumped over the corpse in the back seat and set a grenade on the trunk of the speeder, linking it to the detonator before turning to secure another bomb to the right side of the craft. Kiran turned back to see what she was doing, and his eyes widened, showing the first sign of visible fear that Thalia had ever seen on him.

"Stop that, you're going to kill us!"

"No, I'm just going to make it look like it!" She finished fastening the last grenade on the front engine of the vehicle before finally returning to her seat. "Fly low, we're going to have to jump out again!" Kiran rolled his eyes as she spoke.

"What's with you and suicide attempts?" He screamed at her sarcastically, but Thalia barely heard as she looked behind her to see three more police speeders were following.

They raced down the street, causing more than one collision between other vehicles as they scrambled to get out of their way.

"Alrighty, you're going to have to jump out of the speeder before it crashes." She said, turning to him quickly.

"Are you kidding me, I already almost broke a rib the last time?" He shook his head stubbornly.

"Now who's inexperienced?" Thalia glared into his face and stood up halfway, preparing herself. "Drive into that building and detonate the grenades when you jump," she pointed at a large glass structure, methodically placed with an open alleyway beside it, "After jumping out follow me, ready, on three." He knitted his brows together but did as she commanded, knowing there was no turning back.

"One…" the speeder gained speed as the careened towards the unexpecting building. " Two…" Wind tossed her hair in her face, and she swept it back before finally shouting "Three!"

With only a few feet to spare, both assassins jumped out as a huge explosion rang out behind them. Tucking in her feet, Thalia landed on the ground, gritting her teeth as she rolled away from the crash. Kiran followed close behind but was thrown out of the speeder with his legs sprawled out behind him. He landed on his stomach a thud and found himself gasping for air and clutching his chest. Screams of witnesses resonated out above him and made his ears ring. This girl was an idiot for making him do this, when he got his hands on her…

"Get up! The dust is about to settle!" Thalia stood over a breathless Kiran with her hand outstretched to help him up. He cursed as he stood, clutching his side and swatting her arm away. He swayed slightly, dazed, as he began to take a few hasty steps behind her. "You good?" she asked, yelling over the chaos that surrounded them.

"I'm fine," he mumbled "Let's just get out of here."

They made their way to the alley way as police tanks encircled the newly made hole in the building. Thalia, watched as injured and dead people were moved out of the wreckage, and only felt a slight twinge on her conscience. They did what they had to do, and she'd completed her training assignment.

A smile came to her lips as she turned to Kiran, who was now talking to Jarkin on his com link.

"Yeah, she killed him all right. Him and a few other people." He rolled his eyes as Jarkin asked what had happened. "She got caught, but she got us out of there at least. We're ok but we need to get out of here, the police are crawling all over the area." They arranged a rendezvous point a few miles from their location, and after Kiran finished his conversation, Thalia turned to him expectantly.

"Did I pass?" She asked, hoping for once she'd done something right.

"You killed him, yes, but you also caused the single biggest scene in the city that's most likely going to be in the news for weeks." Kiran's tone was patronizing, and as she listened to him, she felt anger rising. How was she possibly supposed to please him? It was impossible! Walking away from him she tuned him out, wishing that she could just leave.

"You also almost killed us, and did you even get the guy's money? No, you didn't, because you got caught…Your job is to get in, get out, get paid. No bombs. No police, just assassination and paycheck. Period." She turned around at him, glaring, and ready to fire back a just before he spoke more softly, shocking her into silence. "But you proved that you can think on your feet, in case something goes wrong, so I guess you passed." He brushed past her, leaving her stunned in the stillness behind him.

She turned and watched him walking away from her towards the meeting point, confused. So, was he mad at her, or satisfactory with the work she had just accomplished? Standing there dumbly, she opened her mouth to say something, but realized that she didn't want to ruin this moment, regardless of the mixed emotions she was feeling.

Following him, she left the disaster she created behind her, and felt slightly proud of herself. For once, she had been able to execute a plan without thinking of her mother and without hesitations. She was moving forward, even though a twinge of her conscience was crying out against the trap she was walking into, but she silenced it as she walked, making her way back to the ship.

Author's Note: Alrighty folks, school is out (Finally, praise the Lord) and I'm currently on vacation for a bit. Hopefully I can start paying a little more attention to my fanfics and get some more chapters out to y'all on a regular basis (but no promises, I'm a busy person). Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's kinda like a comeback from the wrath of the assassin, and please leave reviews and suggestions, it really helps me! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7: The Internal Fight

Kiran walked quietly down the dark street with Thalia following close behind. As they made their way to the ship, the only sounds were the ones of people in the streets, and the footfalls that their feet made when they walked. They were both shocked into silence after the event that had just occurred, they had survived, but not without a cost.

He had been stupid to send Thalia on a mission, she hadn't been ready, and the only place she knew to hide in were the alleyways, which had been the very reason she was caught. Of course, she was from Coruscant, so obviously she would be at home on the streets, but not every assassination could be completed from the safety of a dark alley. He would have to train her to kill on sight, either with poison, or with a silenced blaster.

He sighed, frustrated; She was smart though, he had to give her credit. She had been the one to get the police off their tail, Kiran would have just thrown the grenades at the police tanks and caused an even bigger scene, but Thalia had destroyed evidence, thrown the police off their tail, and made it look like they were dead. Wow, she was smart, it almost made him mad.

She was becoming more and more capable every day, and his mind raced with the possibilities of what she could become. With proper training and instruction she could be as good as him… maybe better… No that was impossible.

He looked up from his thoughts, the street was gone, and they had reached a dead end. He cursed under his breath as he stared up into the blank brick wall before finally pulling up a holo-map of the city.

Thalia looked around as he inspected the road map, until her eyes fell on a manhole for the sewage system underneath the city, and turning to Kiran, an idea formed in her head.

"Pull up a map of the sewage system, there's an entrance right there."

Kiran looked up, seeing right in front of him the passageway that he had failed to recognize. Thalia had noticed it, though. D*mn, why was she so good at this?

He did as she suggested and lifted the heavy metal grate as she jumped down into the ankle-deep stagnant water. Looking at the map, he found the direction they were supposed to go, and jumped down before turning right with the girl following close behind.

Stillness took over again, as the smell of the pipes and the sound of their sloshing feet hit them. No one spoke, it was the kind of silence that takes you over when you're deep in thought, and they liked it that way, it just felt right.

Kiran turned the holo-map off as he continued in the appointed direction, he couldn't believe he had missed the sewage hole, was the girl making him soft? He frowned knowing it was true. He sloshed forward, remembering as he watched Thalia seduce her victim from the roof. A feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time filled him and he was overcome momentarily. He had been so angry when the drunken man had kissed her, if Thalia hadn't chosen that moment to complete her assignment, he would've chucked one of her daggers straight into his throat, and then probably done the same to her. Why had she let him do that?

He clenched his fists, taking a deep breath. Thalia wasn't his, she was just a trainee, and he shouldn't get distracted. He didn't have time for women, or emotions, and a relationship opened the door for both things to enter.

He remembered the last time he had allowed himself to love something, his brother, but he had died back on Corellia, he hadn't been able to save him. He gritted his teeth as he remembered his screams along with the cries of his mother; Their death had been his fault, and he would never forgive himself for that; the only thing he could do to repay for them was killing, and even that didn't brace himself from the overwhelming guilt that hit him when he was alone. They haunted him; his mother especially haunted him.

But that was something he would never delve back into, he'd promised himself that he would never care about anyone as much as he'd cared about his brother ever again, and for this long, it had served him well. If nothing was in, nothing could be taken out, that was just the way it was. He'd secluded himself for this long, and he couldn't imagine letting himself get hurt the way he had before, and so as Thalia followed him through the dark sewage system, he vowed that he would never let her be the tool to wound him that way again, she would remain as nothing to him. Just a girl from Coruscant.

… A pretty girl from Coruscant.

Thalia followed Kiran and wondered what was going through his mind, she'd seen his face flicker with something a few times a few minutes ago, and as she trudged through the water behind him, she couldn't help but question herself what he was feeling.

Kiran was a marvel to her. One moment he was livid and the next he was only mildly upset. His emotional state seemed to fluctuate between different levels of anger, and as much as that alone was confusing his thoughts were an even more baffling concept to her. What made Kiran tick, and what about her seemed to cause him to burn with rage so easily?

She was at a loss, he was impossible.

During her training session, she had seen him show some emotion; fear, pain, and maybe jealousy, she still wasn't sure, and for the first time, she felt like she was beginning to understand him, but past events had always proven that when one thought they had finally come to comprehend Kiran's character, they were smacked across the face, or rather, knifed. Thalia had the scar to prove it; it was reoccurring pattern.

Bringing her hand to touch the still-bandaged wound, she felt a reverent fear coursing through her. She'd seen what he was capable of, and she knew he wasn't afraid to kill someone, even the one's he was close to, except Jarkin.

Jarkin and Kiran had a brotherly relationship; One that made her smile sometimes. Jarkin could berate Kiran to the brink of explosion, but he would never lay a hand on him. They always forgave each other, and Kiran himself had even allowed a sarcastic joke to escape from his lips. They were friends, it was obvious. If only Thalia could bring herself to that level.

Thalia was only the annoying sidekick to Kiran. She was the mouthy girl who sassed back at every order, and the girl who had caused the scene back there on the streets, but half of her wondered if she was something more, the jealousy she had witnessed was enough to make her question it.

There was no lying to herself, Thalia was attracted to Kiran. His authoritative form and commanding manner were something she'd never seen before. He was a true leader, and not to mention his physical attractiveness as well. His dark eyes and hair added to his mysterious character and drew her to him, but he hated her, and she didn't know how to break past his walls or even if she could. He was a closed door, and she didn't have the key.

Looking up she saw an split in the pipes; there were three branches that led in different directions, she looked towards Kiran who was pulling up the map.

"I think we take this one," Thalia said quietly, moving towards her chosen passageway. "It's going east. We'll have to get out midway and take the street—"

"Who is in charge here?" Kiran's eyes bore a hole into her skull, obviously, he was annoyed with her again for some reason. She shut up immediately and stood silently as Kiran looked at her eyes for a moment longer before returning to the hologram again.

Kiran's anger had arisen the moment she had attempted to direct him. He didn't need her help, he could figure his way around himself, she didn't control him; He was the master of his own ship. But as he looked up into her face again, he had seen that she had quieted not out of respect, but out of fear. Her eyes avoided his as she waited for him, and a twinge of remorse poked at his conscience as he saw how much she feared him, but wasn't that the way he wanted it to be? He shook his head and tried to straighten his thoughts back into alignment. Yes. He didn't care how she felt about him. She could fear him, as long as it got her to shut up.

"This way," He said, walking down the pipe she had originally directed him to. She followed him silently, and he felt like he should say something, but didn't know what.

Thalia looked down at the water she was sloshing through. chunks of mud, food, garbage, and things she did not want to name had accumulated onto the edges of her boots, but thankfully had not soaked through to her feet. The smell of the water sickened her, and she wished they could make it to the surface with fresh air, but they had another half-mile to walk yet.

As much as she hated the rotten air, the silence was eating away at her sanity as well. She looked up to see Kiran stepping over what looked like a dead rat, and she attempted to start a conversation.

"So," Thalia began. Kiran did not give her the satisfaction of a reaction, he simply continued to move forward, his back facing towards her. "When are you going to fill us in on the mission?" Thalia's question echoed through the pipes, and she hoped no one had heard from the outside.

"When I want to." Kiran said blankly. Silence fell on him again and he continued to trudge forward, his lack of acknowledgement piquing her anger.

"Is that going to be soon?" Annoyance laced the question slightly, but she kept it reined in enough for Kiran to handle.

"I don't know."

The answer was a blank statement; It gave her nothing to work with. She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips as sarcasm and stubbornness began to take control. He was ignoring her and brushing her off as though she were nothing, and she was not going to let that happen.

"Why do you hate me?" She said, refusing to move until she got an answer. Kiran continued to walk a few paces, before finally turning around to see her standing there with a frown plastered to her face.

"I didn't say that, did I?" Kiran was baffled that she would make that kind of assumption. He didn't even say anything to provoke her.

"You treat me like a child all the time, am I that much younger than you?" Thalia shifted from one hip to the other and then reached up to give her dark hair an aggressive flip. She was ready to fight; she was done with him treating her like this.

Kiran couldn't believe her. She was just as impossible as him. "I have two years on you, kid, but in those years, I probably saw more than you have seen in your whole pitiful existence. Don't pretend that you're on my level." Kiran attempted to fight himself from letting his anger take control. Despite her annoying capabilities, he would rather she be kept alive.

"Haven't I proved myself yet?" She looked into his face boldly "Or will I never get to that point?"

He felt his anger growing hotter. "Don't pretend like you're the one that saved our *sses out there. You did a trash job of it and almost killed us both."

"You said I passed!"

"I also said you screwed up, now shut up and keep moving before I leave you down here!" He stepped behind her and shoved her forward. Why did he think he was falling for this girl? She was an absolute pain. He almost laughed, she may be pretty, but she was not going to make it if she made comments like that all the time.

Finally, they reached the exit. Kiran moved the metal door and pulled himself out first, failing to offer any assistance to Thalia, who was waiting for it below. She stood staring at him before he finally broke the silence.

"If you think I'm going to help you out of there, then you're wrong. Get out yourself."

She glared up at him before jumping and taking hold of the ledge where the grate sat. Struggling to pull herself up, she finally made it so that her stomach was on the rough concrete and her legs dangled below, dripping with the nasty water.

Lifting a leg, she braced herself and eventually flopped her whole body onto the concrete, Kiran staring with a mocking smile on his face.

"A girl that can talk smack, backflip off buildings, kill people, but can't lift herself out of a hole in the ground." He laughed as he shook his head and walked off down the street, leaving Thalia fuming behind him.

She restrained herself from commenting on the subject as she got up and followed him again, wishing she could be on the ship and away from him.

Turning a corner, they both made their way down the tree lined street as Kiran pulled up the holo-map and inspected their location. Thalia turned in a full circle to take in the huge class and marble houses that lined the sidewalks and towered over her frame. She hadn't seen anything so luxurious in her life, and as she examined them, she wondered what it could've been like to grow up in such a beautiful and peaceful home.

"Thalia." Kiran broke her train of thought as he pointed down the street to where a huge building stood. "The air-strip is behind there." He said. "Now focus; We have to get out of here."

She rolled her eyes as he took of running in the direction of the building. They ran for a whole minute before finally reaching the huge square-shaped complex, and as they walked around, they finally caught a glimpse of Jarkin landing the ship onto a pad.

Sighing with relief, Thalia sprinted as the ship's hull opened and Jarkin stood waiting. Kiran followed close behind as they got inside.

"Woah, why do you all smell so bad?" Jarkin plugged his nose as Kiran frowned, glaring at him.

"Just get us out of here, Jarkin."

Jarkin did as he was told and walked into the cockpit. Thalia felt the ship raising off the ground and stumbled a little, grabbing a hold of the wall to keep steady.

Kiran watched her. He could tell she was tired and saw dark circles under her eyes as she blinked in the light of the ship. Her shoes and lower ankles were soaked and covered in garbage, and he looked down to inspect his own feet to find they were the same. Itchy to be clean, he looked up and nodded at her to be dismissed, glad that he could finally have some peace.

Walking to his quarters, Kiran collapsed onto his bed as the sliding door shut behind him. He was tired, and he hadn't even realized it until now. Shutting his eyes, he kicked off his shoes and relaxed on the soft cushion. But one face held clear form in his mind as he drifted off to sleep. The face of a stubborn girl from Coruscant who drove him insane.


End file.
